Oven appliance with bottom broil element

ABSTRACT

An oven appliance includes a cabinet defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction. The vertical, lateral, and transverse directions are mutually perpendicular. The cabinet comprising a front portion spaced apart from a back portion along the transverse direction and a left side spaced apart from a right side along the lateral direction. The oven appliance also includes a chamber defined within the cabinet for receipt of food items for cooking. A broil heating element is positioned proximate to a bottom portion of the chamber.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter of the present disclosure relates generally to anoven appliance, such as an oven appliance which provides a broiloperation from a heating element located in or near the bottom of theoven appliance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Oven appliances generally include a cabinet that defines a cookingchamber for cooking food items therein, such as by baking or broilingthe food items. To heat the cooking chamber for cooking, oven appliancesinclude one or more heating elements positioned at a top portion, abottom portion, or both the top portion and the bottom portion of thecooking chamber. Some oven appliances also include a convection heatingelement and fan for convection cooking cycles. The heating element orelements may be used for various cycles of the oven appliance, such as apreheat cycle, a cooking cycle, or a self-cleaning cycle.

Conventional oven appliances that provide multiple cooking operations orfunctions typically include multiple heating elements, with at least oneheating element being dedicated or specialized for each cookingfunction. For example, cooking appliances which are configured for bothbaking, e.g., providing heat primarily to a lower and/or middle portionof the cooking chamber, and broiling, e.g., providing more intense (ascompared to baking) heat at or concentrated in a top portion of thecooking chamber, typically include at least one heating element for eachfunction which is separate from the heating element(s) used in everyother function and is dedicated to only the one function. Thus, eachfunction, e.g., baking and broiling, uses a specific, dedicatedsingle-purpose heating element.

Although such configurations can provide flexibility and versatility inoven operations, the use of multiple independent heating elements alsoresults in an increase in cost and complexity of the associated ovenappliance.

Accordingly, an oven appliance with features for providing multiplefunctions, such as baking and broiling, from a single multi-purposeheating element would be desirable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in thefollowing description, may be apparent from the description, or may belearned through practice of the invention.

In one exemplary embodiment, an oven appliance is provided. The ovenappliance includes a cabinet defining a vertical direction, a lateraldirection, and a transverse direction. The vertical, lateral, andtransverse directions are mutually perpendicular. The cabinet includes afront portion spaced apart from a back portion along the transversedirection and a left side spaced apart from a right side along thelateral direction. A chamber is defined within the cabinet for receiptof food items for cooking. The oven appliance also includes a broilheating element positioned below a bottom wall of the chamber.

In another exemplary embodiment, an oven appliance is provided. The ovenappliance includes a cabinet defining a vertical direction, a lateraldirection, and a transverse direction. The vertical, lateral, andtransverse directions are mutually perpendicular. The cabinet includes afront portion spaced apart from a back portion along the transversedirection and a left side spaced apart from a right side along thelateral direction. A chamber is defined within the cabinet for receiptof food items for cooking. The oven appliance also includes a broilheating element positioned proximate to a bottom portion of the chamber.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdescription and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which areincorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrateembodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serveto explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including thebest mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is setforth in the specification, which makes reference to the appendedfigures.

FIG. 1 provides a front view of an exemplary oven appliance according toone or more embodiments of the present subject matter.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the oven appliance of FIG. 1according to one or more embodiments of the present subject matter.

FIG. 3 provides a cross-sectional view of the oven appliance of FIG. 1according to one or more additional embodiments of the present subjectmatter.

FIG. 4 provides a schematic view of flow paths for hot gases within theoven appliance of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 provides a schematic view of flow paths for hot gases within theoven appliance of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention,one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Eachexample is provided by way of explanation of the invention, notlimitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be madein the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit ofthe invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as partof one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a stillfurther embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present inventioncovers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

As used herein, terms of approximation, such as “generally,” or “about”include values within ten percent greater or less than the stated value.In the context of an angle or direction, such terms include valueswithin ten degrees greater or less than the stated direction. Forexample, “generally vertical” includes directions within ten degrees ofvertical in any direction, e.g., clockwise or counter-clockwise.

FIGS. 1 through 3 illustrate an oven appliance 100 according to anexemplary embodiment of the present subject matter. Oven appliance 100includes an insulated cabinet 102 which defines a vertical direction V,a lateral direction L, and a transverse direction T. The vertical,lateral, and transverse directions V, L, and T are mutuallyperpendicular and form an orthogonal direction system. Cabinet 102extends between a top portion 40 and a bottom portion 42 along thevertical direction V. Cabinet 102 extends between a left side 44 and aright side 46 along the lateral direction L and between a front portion48 and a back portion 50 along the transverse direction T.

Still referring to FIGS. 1 through 3, in various exemplary embodiments,oven appliance 100 includes an insulated cabinet 102 with an interiorcooking chamber 104 defined by a top wall 112, a bottom wall 114, a backwall 116, and a pair of opposing side walls 118. Cooking chamber 104 isconfigured for the receipt of one or more food items to be cooked. Ovenappliance 100 includes a door 108 pivotally mounted to cabinet 102 atthe opening 106 of cabinet 102 to permit selective access to cookingchamber 104 through opening 106. A handle 110 is mounted to door 108 andassists a user with opening and closing door 108. For example, a usercan pull on handle 110 to open or close door 108 and access cookingchamber 104.

Oven appliance 100 can include a seal (not shown) between door 108 andcabinet 102 that assists with maintaining heat and cooking vapors withincooking chamber 104 when door 108 is closed as shown in FIGS. 1 through3. Multiple parallel glass panes 122 provide for viewing the contents ofcooking chamber 104 when door 108 is closed and assist with insulatingcooking chamber 104. A baking rack 142 is positioned in cooking chamber104 for the receipt of food items or utensils containing food items.Baking rack 142 is slidably received onto embossed ribs or sliding rails144 such that rack 142 may be conveniently moved into and out of cookingchamber 104 when door 108 is open.

One or more heating elements may be included at the top, bottom, or bothof cooking chamber 104 to provide heat to cooking chamber 104 forcooking. Such heating element(s) can be gas, electric, microwave, or acombination thereof. For example, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2and 3, oven appliance 100 includes a first bottom heating element 126,where first bottom heating element 126 is positioned adjacent to andbelow bottom wall 114 and adjacent to and in front of back wall 116. Inparticular, the bottom heating element 126 in the embodiment illustratedin FIGS. 2 and 3 is a gas burner. In some example embodiments the ovenappliance 100 may also include a second bottom heating element 125, suchas the bottom electric heating element 125 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.In additional embodiments, e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 3, the ovenappliance 100 may also a top heating element 124 in addition to thebottom heating elements 125 and 126, where the top heating element 124may be, e.g., a resistance heating element 124 as illustrated in FIG. 3.

In various embodiments, more than one top heating element 124 and/ormore than one bottom heating element (gas burner) 126 may be provided invarious combinations, e.g., one top heating element 124 with two or moregas burners 126, two or more gas burners 126 with no top heating element124, etc.

Oven appliance 100 includes a user interface 128 having a display 130positioned on an interface panel 132 and having a variety of controls134. Interface 128 allows the user to select various options for theoperation of oven 100 including, e.g., various cooking and cleaningcycles. Operation of oven appliance 100 can be regulated by a controller140 that is operatively coupled to, i.e., in communication with, userinterface 128, heating elements 124, 126, and other components of oven100 as will be further described.

For example, in response to user manipulation of the user interface 128,controller 140 can operate the heating element(s). Controller 140 canreceive measurements from one or more temperature sensors (not shown)which are in or in thermal communication with the cooking chamber 104.Controller 140 may also provide information such as a status indicator,e.g., a temperature indication, to the user with display 130. Controller140 can also be provided with other features as will be furtherdescribed herein.

Controller 140 may include a memory and one or more processing devicessuch as microprocessors, CPUs, or the like, such as general or specialpurpose microprocessors operable to execute programming instructions ormicro-control code associated with operation of oven appliance 100. Thememory may represent random access memory such as DRAM or read onlymemory such as ROM or FLASH. In one embodiment, the processor executesprogramming instructions stored in memory. The memory may be a separatecomponent from the processor or may be included onboard within theprocessor. The memory can store information accessible by theprocessor(s), including instructions that can be executed byprocessor(s). For example, the instructions can be software or any setof instructions that when executed by the processor(s), cause theprocessor(s) to perform operations. For the embodiment depicted, theinstructions may include a software package configured to operate thesystem, e.g., to execute exemplary methods of operating the ovenappliance 100. Controller 140 may also be or include the capabilities ofeither a proportional (P), proportional-integral (PI), orproportional-integral-derivative (PID) control for feedback-basedcontrol implemented with, e.g., temperature feedback from one or moresensors such as temperature sensors and/or probes, etc.

Controller 140 may be positioned in a variety of locations throughoutoven appliance 100. In the illustrated embodiment, controller 140 islocated next to user interface 128 within interface panel 132. In otherembodiments, controller 140 may be located under or next to the userinterface 128, otherwise within interface panel 132, or at any otherappropriate location with respect to oven appliance 100. Generally,controller 140 will be positioned within the cabinet 102. In theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, input/output (“I/O”) signals arerouted between controller 140 and various operational components of ovenappliance 100 such as heating elements 124, 126, 136, convection fan138, controls 134, display 130, alarms, and/or other components as maybe provided. In one embodiment, user interface 128 may represent ageneral purpose I/O (“GPIO”) device or functional block.

Although shown with touch type controls 134, it should be understoodthat controls 134 and the configuration of oven appliance 100 shown inFIG. 1 is provided by way of example only. More specifically, userinterface 128 may include various input components, such as one or moreof a variety of electrical, mechanical, or electro-mechanical inputdevices including rotary dials, push buttons, and touch pads. Userinterface 128 may include other display components, such as a digital oranalog display device designed to provide operational feedback to auser. User interface 128 may be in communication with controller 140 viaone or more signal lines or shared communication busses.

While oven 100 is shown as a wall oven, the present invention could alsobe used with other cooking appliances such as, e.g., a stand-alone oven,an oven with a stove-top, or other configurations of such ovens.Numerous variations in the oven configuration are possible within thescope of the present subject matter. For example, variations in the typeand/or layout of the controls 134, as mentioned above, are possible. Asanother example, the oven appliance 100 may include multiple doors 108instead of or in addition to the single door 108 illustrated. Suchexamples include a dual cavity oven, a French door oven, and others. Asstill another example, one or more of the illustrated electricalresistance heating elements may be substituted with gas burners ormicrowave heating elements, or any other suitable heating elements. Theexamples described herein are provided by way of illustration only andwithout limitation.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the gas burner 126 may be positionedproximate to a bottom portion of the chamber 104, e.g., outside of thechamber 104 but within the cabinet 102 and positioned most proximate tothe bottom wall 114 of the chamber 104. Thus, the gas burner 126 may bein thermal communication and in fluid communication with the chamber 104through the bottom wall 114, such as through a hood 146 defined in thebottom wall 114. The hood 146 may have an open end positioned andoriented to direct combustion products (e.g., flames and hot gases) 148from the gas burner 126 into the chamber. More particularly, the gasburner 126 may be in direct fluid communication with the chamber 104through the hood 146 of the bottom wall 114, e.g., where combustionproducts 148 from the gas burner 126 are oriented directly into thechamber 104 through the hood 146 and not against any intermediate solidstructure, such as a solid portion of the bottom wall 114 or a flamespreader. Thus, the combustion products 148 may follow a direct flowpath, e.g., a path that extends along a straight line, unobstructed anduninterrupted by any solid components of the oven appliance 100, fromthe gas burner 126 to the cooking chamber 104 through the hood 146, asillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The gas burner 126 may also be positionedat a rear portion of the chamber 104, such as most proximate to the backwall 116 of the chamber 104. Moreover, the hood 146 may be orientedgenerally upward, e.g., towards the top wall 112 of the chamber 104,along the vertical direction V, whereby the combustion products 148 flowby natural convection (e.g., heat rising) from the gas burner 126 intothe chamber 104 through the hood 146. The gas burner 126 may also beoriented such that the gas burner 126, e.g., a longitudinal axisthereof, extends along the lateral direction L generally parallel to theback wall 116 of the chamber 104.

As shown in FIGS. 2 through 6, in some embodiments, the gas burner 126may be the only combustive heat source (e.g., there are no other gasburners but the one) for the chamber. In further embodiments, the gasburner 126 may also be the only heat source for the chamber 104. Theterm “heat source” is intended to mean a source of direct heating of thechamber 104, such as a heating element in direct thermal communicationwith the chamber 104, e.g., which is oriented into or towards thechamber 104 without any intermediate thermally insulating structures.For example, such embodiments may also include ambient heat sourceswhich are separated from the chamber 104 by at least a portion of theinsulation of the insulated cabinet 102 and/or the door 108, includingthe windows 122 of the door 108. Such ambient heat sources may include,e.g., one or more burners on a cooktop of the oven appliance 100 inembodiments where the oven appliance 100 is a range appliance includinga cooktop. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that suchcooktop elements would be positioned above the chamber 104 and orientedaway from the chamber 104, such that the cooktop heating elements wouldnot be considered as heat sources for the chamber 104 because suchelements are separated from the chamber 104 by insulation and/or are notoriented towards or into the chamber 104.

As will be described in more detail below, the gas burner 126 proximateto the bottom portion of the chamber 104 and/or below the bottom wall114 of the chamber 104 may be a broil heating element. For example, thegas burner 126 may be a source or the sole source of heat, e.g., in theform of combustion products 148 from the gas burner 126, for a broiloperation which heats food in a top position within the chamber 104 bythe bottom element 126.

Referring in particular to FIGS. 2 and 4, in some embodiments, the ovenappliance 100 may not include any heating elements proximate the topwall 112 of the chamber 104, such that the gas burner 126 is the onlyheat source for a broil operation of the oven appliance 100. In suchembodiments, combustion products 148 (FIG. 2) from the gas burner 126may follow a natural convection flow path 200 (FIG. 4) within andthrough the chamber 104. As mentioned above, the natural convection flowpath 200 may be partially defined by the positioning and orientation ofthe gas burner 126 and the hood 146, relative to each other and thechamber 104, such that the natural convection flow path 200 begins atthe gas burner 126 and/or the hood 146. The hood 146 may be obliquelyoriented and may thus be configured to direct the combustion products148 up and back, e.g., to the back wall 116 and towards the top wall112. Thus, the natural convection flow path 200 may be collectivelydefined by the hood 146, the back wall 116, the top wall 112, and atleast partially defined by the door 108, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the natural convection flowpath 200 may, in some embodiments, extend from the gas burner 126,upward along the vertical direction V across the back wall 116 of thechamber 104, and forward along the transverse direction T across the topwall 112 of the chamber 104. As the combustion products 148 travelacross the top wall 112, they may pass over and in close proximity tofood items for broiling said food items. For example, such food itemsmay be positioned on the rack 142 and the rack 142 may be placed on theuppermost rail 144 whereby the food items may absorb thermal energy fromthe combustion products 148 as the combustion products 148 travelforward across the top wall 112, such as across all or approximately theentire transverse length of the top wall 112. Also as illustrated inFIG. 4, the natural convection flow path 200 may then be directeddownwards after reaching the end of the top wall 112, such as byencountering the door 108, as shown. Thus, the combustion products 148may circulate throughout an entire perimeter of the chamber 104, or atleast approximately all of each of three sides thereof, e.g., the sidesof the chamber 104 defined by the back wall 116, the top wall 112, andthe door 108. Thus, the gas burner 126 may thereby provide heat forbroiling, e.g., when the combustion products 148 follow the naturalconvection flow path 200 from the gas burner 126 to the top wall 112 andacross the top wall 112 from back to front.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, in some embodiments, the oven appliance 100may also include one or more top heating elements, such as the topelectric resistance element 124. In such embodiments, where the topheating elements is an electric resistance heating element, the gasburner 126 is not the only heat source for the chamber, but may be theonly combustive heat source for the chamber 104. In such embodiments,the broil operation may be similar to that described above with respectto FIGS. 2 and 5, where food items in the cooking chamber 104 mayreceive convection heat (illustrated by white arrows 204 in FIGS. 3 and5) from the combustion products 148 travelling along the naturalconvection flow path 200 as described above. Additionally, when the topheating element 124 is provided, such food items may also receiveradiant heat (illustrated by the downward shaded arrows 206 coming fromtop heating element 124 in FIG. 5) from the top heating element 124during the broil operation.

As shown in FIGS. 2 through 5, in some embodiments, the oven appliance100 may also include bottom electric heating element 125. In suchembodiments, where the second bottom heating element is an electricresistance heating element, the gas burner 126 is not the only heatsource for the chamber, but may be the only combustive heat source forthe chamber 104. In such embodiments, a bake operation of the ovenappliance 100 may include the additional, optional, activation of thebottom electric heating element 125 as well as the gas burner 126. Whenthe bottom electric heating element 125 is activated, the cookingchamber 104 may thereby receive radiant heating (e.g., as illustrated bythe upward shaded arrows 206 coming from the bottom electric heatingelement 125 and/or bottom wall 114 in FIGS. 4 and 5), e.g., directlyfrom the bottom electric heating element 125 and/or via the thermallyconductive bottom wall 114 of the chamber 104.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention,including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in theart to practice the invention, including making and using any devices orsystems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope ofthe invention is defined by the claims and may include other examplesthat occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intendedto be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elementsthat do not differ from the literal language of the claims or if theyinclude equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differencesfrom the literal language of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An oven appliance, comprising: a cabinet defininga vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction,the vertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutuallyperpendicular, the cabinet comprising a front portion spaced apart froma back portion along the transverse direction and a left side spacedapart from a right side along the lateral direction; a chamber definedwithin the cabinet for receipt of food items for cooking; and a broilheating element positioned below a bottom wall of the chamber.
 2. Theoven appliance of claim 1, wherein there are no heating elementspositioned proximate a top wall of the chamber.
 3. The oven appliance ofclaim 1, wherein the broil heating element is a gas burner.
 4. The ovenappliance of claim 3, wherein the gas burner is the only combustive heatsource for the chamber.
 5. The oven appliance of claim 3, furthercomprising an electric heating element proximate to the top wall of thechamber.
 6. The oven appliance of claim 1, wherein the broil heatingelement is positioned proximate a back wall of the chamber.
 7. The ovenappliance of claim 1, further comprising a natural convection flow pathdefined through the chamber, the natural convection flow path extendingfrom an origin at the broil heating element to a top wall of thechamber.
 8. The oven appliance of claim 7, wherein the naturalconvection flow path extends from the broil heating element, upwardalong the vertical direction across a back wall of the chamber, andforward along the transverse direction across the top wall of thechamber.
 9. The oven appliance of claim 1, further comprising a bakeheating element proximate to the broil heating element.
 10. The ovenappliance of claim 9, wherein the bake heating element is an electricheating element.
 11. An oven appliance, comprising: a cabinet defining avertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, thevertical, lateral, and transverse directions being mutuallyperpendicular, the cabinet comprising a front portion spaced apart froma back portion along the transverse direction and a left side spacedapart from a right side along the lateral direction; a chamber definedwithin the cabinet for receipt of food items for cooking; and a broilheating element positioned proximate to a bottom portion of the chamber.12. The oven appliance of claim 11, wherein there are no heatingelements positioned proximate a top wall of the chamber.
 13. The ovenappliance of claim 11, wherein the broil heating element is a gasburner.
 14. The oven appliance of claim 13, wherein the gas burner isthe only combustive heat source for the chamber.
 15. The oven applianceof claim 13, further comprising an electric heating element proximate tothe top wall of the chamber.
 16. The oven appliance of claim 11, whereinthe broil heating element is positioned proximate a back wall of thechamber.
 17. The oven appliance of claim 11, further comprising anatural convection flow path defined through the chamber, the naturalconvection flow path extending from an origin at the broil heatingelement to a top wall of the chamber.
 18. The oven appliance of claim17, wherein the natural convection flow path extends from the broilheating element, upward along the vertical direction across a back wallof the chamber, and forward along the transverse direction across thetop wall of the chamber.
 19. The oven appliance of claim 11, furthercomprising a bake heating element proximate to the broil heatingelement.
 20. The oven appliance of claim 19, wherein the bake heatingelement is an electric heating element.